Malanje – The Laúca hydroelectric project, located in the municipality of Cacuso, in Malanje, reached its maximum production capacity of 2,070 megawatts of energy this year, with the start-up, in May, of the 65 MW ecological plant, inaugurated by the President of the Republic, João Lourenço.

By Nelson Costa and Pedro Calombe

The Laúca hydroelectric plant, built in 2012 and budgeted at more than US$5 billion, generates energy through six turbines with a capacity of 334 megawatts each and an ecological power plant.

The infrastructure, in operation since 2017, is located 47 kilometers from the Capanda hydroelectric project and has a 132-meter-high dam, built in an area of 24 thousand hectares, with a reservoir of 18 thousand hectares.

The dam, currently considered the largest in the country, is an example of success that already benefits more than five million inhabitants of the interconnected northern, central and southern system of the country.

Also in the energy field, the municipality of Cangandala benefited, this year, for the first time, from electricity from the public grid, with the start-up of a 30 Kva electricity distribution line, with a system installed in the town of Cassuco, which includes a 400 kilovolt Transformer Pole (PT) that is allowing 500 household connections and public lighting to be made in stages.

The Ministry of Energy and Water also launched the Rural Electrification Project, which will benefit 101,925 inhabitants of 20 communes in Malanje province by 2026.

Of the 20 communes, 10 will be supplied with photovoltaic panels and energy stored in batteries, while another 10 will be interconnected to the national electricity grid, through the Laúca and Capanda hydroelectric dams.

Water

The city of Malanje won, this year, the largest water collection, treatment and distribution system in the province, in the town of Quissol, also inaugurated by President João Lourenço.

It is an infrastructure with the capacity to produce 720 cubic meters of water per hour from the Cuije River, budgeted at 31 million 237 thousand and 861 US dollars, financed by the credit line from China, which aims to strengthen the supply of the city of Malanje.

This unit also includes reservoirs, pipelines, electromechanical equipment and administrative areas and allowed 12 thousand new household connections to be made in the urban center and neighborhoods of Canâmbua, Maxinde, Shooting Range, Vila Matilde and Cangambo.

Health

The Minister of Health, Sílvia Lutucuta, announced the construction of an operating room, emergency bench and intensive care rooms at the Malanje General Hospital, in order to strengthen the unit's services.

According to the minister, the Ministry is working on mobilizing funds for this purpose as soon as possible, so that the project starts on time.

Sílvia Lutucuta visited the spaces where these works will be erected, and stressed that the project also includes the construction of a paediatric observation area and a laundry.

Culture

In this year, Malanje recorded the death of King Buba Nvula Dalamana 'Cabombo' in the municipality of Marimba, due to illness, at the age of 101.

His replacement, the 45th Sovereign of the Kingdom of Ndongo, Luís António Ngola 'Diba Ngola Njungo', began his reign after an official presentation in the commune of Dala Samba (Marimba) to members of the government, traditional, religious and popular authorities.

The new King pointed out as lines of strength for his reign, the union of the people of the region, as well as the strengthening of cooperation with the government, aiming at the construction of the memorial of the Kings and Sovereigns of Ndongo, in order to value the region and transform it into a poster for tourist and cultural visits.

The death of former deputy and businessman Monteiro Capunga due to illness, in Portugal, was also highlighted, due to his achievements and the notoriety he held in the political and business fields in the province and in the country.

Rains

The problem of the rains that have hit the province since November is one of the main occurrences, with the destruction and flooding of three thousand 30 houses, the displacement of one thousand 731 families and the registration of more than 10 deaths in the municipalities of Malanje, Calandula and Cacuso.

Agriculture

The year 2023 was marked with the opening of the national agricultural year 2023/24, in an event held in the municipality of Luquembo, under the presidency of the Minister of State for Economic Coordination, José de Lima Massano.

The governor highlighted the investments that the Executive has been making in infrastructures to support agriculture, the mobilization of resources for the promotion of large-scale agriculture, especially grains, cereals and coffee.

Malanje also hosted the I Advisory Council of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, chaired by the holder of the portfolio, Francisco Assis, which addressed the policies of the country's agricultural sector, as well as presented the balance of the actions and the agricultural year 2021/2022.

On the occasion, the leader specified that the country recorded an increase of 5.6 percent in national production during the 2021/22 agricultural season, compared to the previous year, representing a positive path towards the objectives of the Executive.

Economy

The Minister of State for Economic Coordination, José de Lima Massano, inaugurated the first phase of the Ministry of Defense's Poultry Project, in the commune of Quizenga (Cacuso), which foresees the production of 7 million chickens per year, starting in March 2024, in the provinces of Malanje and Cuanza Norte.

Budgeted at US$50 million, the initiative aims to ensure the logistical sustainability of the Angolan Armed Forces (FAA) and supply chicken to the national market, along with the socio-economic framework of former military personnel and job creation.

The project includes 140 warehouses (60 for Malanje and 80 for Cuanza Norte), each with 5,000 chicks and a slaughterhouse, and will contribute to the saving of 300 million US dollars spent annually on importing chickens.

Meanwhile, 24 economic operators in the agricultural sector in the province of Malanje benefited from trucks, under the second phase of the Integrated Program for the Development of Rural Trade (ICCR).

Sport

The qualification of Clube Recreativo União de Malanje (CRUM) to the Girabola 2023/24 is one of the biggest highlights of the sport in the province, followed by the approval by the Angolan Football Federation (FAF), for the 1º de Maio field to host official matches of the national football championship.

CRUM was founded in May 2022 and competes for the first time in the biggest football competition, with a squad composed of 31 players, of which 15 reinforcements were hired in the national market.

Also in this field, the province of Malanje hosted the senior national men's and women's judo championship, with the participation of athletes from the country's 18 provinces, a competition that aimed to determine the champions of the 2023 season in both sexes, in the categories from 48 to 73 kilograms.

Meanwhile, the province was also the stage for the XI national school games, whose final pitted the National Under-20 Football Team against the Malanje Mixed, a match won by the visitors by 4-2 on penalties.

At the end of the game, the Minister of Youth and Sports, Palmira Barbosa, defended the need for the massification of more sports, with a view to stimulating federated sports, stressing that many modalities do not correspond to the Executive's intentions to develop sports practice and create athletes in quantity and quality to serve the national teams.

The fourth edition of the national basketball tournament for veterans in both classes also took place in Malanje, with the participation of several clubs in the country.

The Prudencial Seguros de Luanda team was crowned the men's champion, beating its opponent Players Only, also from the country's capital, in the final by 47-38, and revalidated the title, adding to its gallery its third consecutive cup (2021, 2022 and 2023).

In the women's class, the Mixed LCB of Luanda was the champion, having beaten Académica de Malanje by 29-8.

Malanje hosted, on the other hand, the 31st edition of the national basketball championship in Under-14 in both sexes, won by Petro de Luanda in men, having revalidated the title, by beating Ferroviário de Angola in the final by 56-53.

In the women's division, Casa do Pessoal do Porto do Lobito dethroned 1º de Agosto, winning by 51-50. NC/PBC/DOJ